Tell us what you think

We welcome your views on our website and invite you to take part in a brief survey when you've finished your visit.

Your response will help us improve the site and the experience we offer to visitors.

We use cookies to help provide the best experience on our website. We do this by tracking how the website is used and when appropriate remembering your preferences. If you continue, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Spire Healthcare website.

Barium enema

A barium enema is a special type of X-ray test used to examine the large bowel (colon and rectum), which doesn't show up well on normal X-rays. Coating the bowel with barium, a white liquid, highlights it on X-rays. The test can help look for signs of inflammation, disease or cancer.

A fixed price for this treatment may be available on enquiry and following an initial consultation.

You can trust Spire Leicester Hospital to provide you with a single, fixed price (1) so there are no surprises. And, through our carefully chosen partner (2) you can even be considered for interest free finance.(1) Important: Please read Spire Healthcare's terms and conditions for full details of what’s included and excluded in your fixed price* when paying for yourself. (2) Zebra Finance Ltd trading as Zebra Health Finance , Lincoln House, Stephensons Way, Wyvern Business Park, Derby, DE21 6LY.

Our patients are at the heart of what we do and we want you to be in control of your care. To us, that means you can choose the consultant you want to see, and when you want. They'll be with you every step of the way.

All of our consultants are of the highest calibre and benefit from working in our modern, well-equipped hospitals.

Our consultants have high standards to meet, often holding specialist NHS posts and delivering expertise in complex sub-specialty surgeries. Many of our consultants have international reputations for their research in their specialised field.

You will have a formal consultation with a healthcare professional. During this time you will be able to explain your medical history, symptoms and raise any concerns that you might have.

We will also discuss with you whether any further diagnostic tests, such as scans or blood tests, are needed. Any additional costs will be discussed before further tests are carried out.

Although this is a relatively straight forward process, you may be required not to eat solid foods or certain drinks for a period of time before your procedure. You may see this referred to as 'starve times', and we will advise you of these before your visit.

Your treatment may be adapted to meet your individual needs, so it’s important to follow your consultant’s advice. It's natural to feel anxious before hospital treatment, but knowing what to expect can help. Please raise any concerns or questions with your consultants or nurse so you feel comfortable and in control.

We understand that having an examination can potentially be a time of anxiety and worry. Our experienced and caring medical staff will be there for you, holding your hand, every step of the way.

The test usually takes up to 20 minutes. We may give you an injection to help relax the muscles of your bowel wall, and make the examination easier to tolerate. The muscle relaxant may be given routinely at the start of the procedure, or only if bowel spasm is seen during the examination.

During the procedure, a soft plastic tube is gently passed into your rectum. Liquid barium will flow through the tube to coat the bowel wall. Air may be passed through the tube to expand the bowel and make the bowel wall easier to see. You may feel as if you need to go to the toilet. It’s important to try and hold the barium fluid and air in by keeping the muscles of your bottom very tight.

Images of your bowel will be displayed on a TV screen. You may be moved into different positions to help the barium flow and to see as much of the bowel as possible. The X-ray table will slowly tilt to get you into position.

Several X-ray images will be taken with you in different positions: some with you lying on your side and some with you upright. When sufficient X-rays have been taken, the tube will be removed. You will be allowed to leave the X-ray room and go to the toilet.

A report will be sent to the doctor who requested your test. The report can take several days to reach your doctor. Before you go home, please ask you radiographer when you can expect to get your results.

You may experience some discomfort: some patients may feel cramp-like pains for a short while afterwards. Muscle relaxants can temporarily blur your eyesight, but your vision should improve after 30 minutes.

You may feel bloated for a short while after having a barium enema. You may also feel constipated for a few days and need to take mild laxatives.

On rare occasions, complications following a barium enema can occur. There is a small chance the colon may be damaged or perforated during the procedure. This can lead to bleeding and infection, which may require treatment with medicines or surgery.

If you experience bleeding, continuing abdominal pains or bloating – call us straight away. These could indicate that your colon has been damaged or perforated during the procedure. Your consultant will talk to you about the possible risks and complications of having this procedure and how they apply to you.

We are committed to delivering excellent individual care and customer service across our network of hospitals, clinics and specialist care centres around the UK. Our dedicated and highly trained team aim to achieve consistently excellent results. For us it's more than just treating patients, it's about looking after people.

Make an enquiry

40059

True

treatment

Contact us to request...

Type the detail of your enquiry

Select a hospital

Title

First name

Surname

Date of birth

Email address

Confirm email address

Phone number

Postcode

Marketing Information

Spire would like to provide you with marketing information about products and services offered by Spire and by selected third-party partners. If you do not consent for us to process your personal data for marketing activities, we will still be able to contact you about your enquiry.

We may contact you by email, SMS or phone about your enquiry. If we try to contact you by phone (mobile and/or landline) and you are not available, we may leave you a voicemail message. We may also use your details to contact you about patient surveys we use for improving our service or monitoring outcomes, which are not a form of marketing.

Thank you for your enquiry

Important to note

The treatment described on this page may be adapted to meet your individual needs, so it's important to follow your healthcare professional's advice and raise any questions that you may have with them.